“Mr. Scott, please don’t mind them; these old guys just love to joke around,” Coleman chuckled and said.
Then, he hurriedly introduced Kayden, “This is Mr. Kayden Scott, my lifesaver.”
The group finally understood. No wonder that young man was so proud-turns out, he had saved Coleman’s life.
Dr. Rodriguez, who had been caring for Coleman, studied Kayden for a moment before saying, “So, this is the genius doctor who treated Old Mr. Vincent. I heard someone saying heroes emerge at a young age. It looked like I should strive to be like Mr. Scott.”
“I’ve been looking after Old Mr. Vincent for twenty years, and there was never a medicine that could cure him. I’m very curious, Mr. Scott, how did you manage to heal him? What ingredients did you use? I’d love to learn from you.”
Kayden didn’t even glance at Dr. Rodriguez, coldly replying, “You’re not qualified to know.”
His words left Dr. Rodriguez in an awkward silence. He had prepared a lot of pleasantries, but they all got stuck in his throat.
Kayden wasn’t one for flattery. His attitude was straightforward. In his eyes, everyone was the same. If someone’s not up to the mark, then he’s simply not up to the mark. Status and wealth meant nothing and they were like dirt to him.
If competing with him in wealth… he didn’t even know how much was in his black card, but it was at least hundreds of billions of dollars.
If competing with him in power… He was the Defender of the South in Seclela, wielding immense influence. Only the Dragon Lord of Seclela could command him.
By the time he was in his teens, he was already battling on the front lines. If he hadn’t killed millions enemies, then it was about a million. His heart had long been hardened by the battlefield, so he saw no need for pretense.
These people should be looking up to him with reverence and awe.
Hearing Kayden’s words, the look of the elderly men around the table changed. Kayden’s behavior was rather disrespectful.
They exchanged glances, thinking that if not for Coleman’s favoring of him, Kayden wouldn’t even have the right to sit at the same table with them. Without Coleman’s backing, he was nothing but a brat, too arrogant, too full of himself.
Erika, however, found Kayden quite cool. These old guys were always praising each other, and now, with just a few words, Kayden had crushed Dr. Rodriguez’s attempts at flattery.
Dr. Rodriguez had been buttering up Kayden just to hear some polite compliments in return. Erika saw right through their little game.
“Let’s drink and enjoy the dinner. I must sincerely thank Mr. Scott for saving my life. Without his medicine, I might not have lived much longer,” Coleman quickly tried to smooth things over.
Though still displeased, the others raised their glasses to Kayden.
After a few drinks, the mood lightened, and the group began chatting and toasting continuously.
Kayden focused on eating, completely ignoring the others’ toasts.
Sitting beside Kayden, Erika quietly tugged at his sleeve.
Kayden, ever alert, looked at her and asked, “What is it? Do you need something?”
Erika blinked and asked, “I heard from my grandpa that you’re a soldier. Is the war like what is shown on TV?”
“He said that?” Kayden was surprised that Coleman had guessed his identity. He had no intention of hiding it, so he shook his head and told Erika, “No, it’s much more dangerous than what they show on TV.”
“So, do you know martial arts? You must be very skilled to become a commander at such a young age.” Erika’s curiosity was piqued. She often heard her grandpa talk about martial arts, especially since he was the chairman of the Tai Chi Association.
Kayden smiled faintly but didn’t answer.
Erika wanted to ask more, but seeing Kayden’s cold expression, she swallowed her questions.
At that moment, a waiter carrying a tray pushed open the door to the Moon Viewing Restaurant’s private room. He held two teapots and, after entering, addressed Coleman, “Mr. Vincent, this is the freshest black tea produced this year. The owner asked me to bring it up for you to try.”
“So is this year’s tea ready?”
“Yes, Mr. Vincent, please allow me to pour you a cup.”
As the waiter moved to pour tea for Coleman, a black pistol suddenly appeared from his sleeve.
In a flash, the waiter grabbed Coleman with one hand and pressed the pistol against his head.
The move was so swift that no one in the room had time to react. All they saw was the pistol now aimed at Coleman’s head.
Everyone in the room became visibly unsettled. They were all just businessmen, not accustomed to such scenes.
Coleman, having faced many challenges in life, didn’t show fear or panic. Instead, he calmly raised his hands to reassure the others, “Everyone, stay calm.”
“Young man, who are you? Do you know what you’re doing?” Coleman asked, still composed.
The man viciously pulled Coleman up and held him tightly, saying, “Of course I know. You’re Coleman Vincent, and someone has hired me to take your life.”
“What do you want with my grandpa?” Erika, though frightened, mustered up the courage to shout at the man.
The man pointed the gun at Erika, “This has nothing to do with you. Sit down! Everyone, sit down!”
Terrified, everyone quickly sat down again. The man sneered, “A bunch of self-righteous fools. You talk about morality and virtue all day long, lecturing others. But look at you now, nothing but cowards!”
Coleman took a deep breath and said, “Sir, whoever sent you, I’ll pay you ten times what they offered.”
“Ten times? Do you think I’m someone who breaks a deal? You’re insulting me,” the man scoffed.
With that, he began to pull the trigger. At that moment, Kayden slowly stood up from his chair.
The man froze and quickly pointed the gun at Kayden, shouting, “Sit down! I didn’t give you permission to stand!”
Before the man could finish his sentence, Kayden swiftly grabbed a fork and flung it at the man. There was a sharp sound, followed by a gunshot and then a scream.
The man’s pistol fell to the floor, and blood started pouring from his hand.
The fork had deeply embedded itself into the man’s hand, the force of it sending him crashing against the wall.
Coleman quickly turned to the man and demanded, “Tell me, who sent you here?”
Before the man could respond, another fork flew past Coleman, piercing the man’s throat. He struggled for a moment before collapsing, dead.